Gun barrel cleaning device

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an improvement to a gun barrel cleaning tool which enables a user to attach and remove gun barrel cleaning devices to a gun barrel cleaning rod by inserting a cleaning device into a recess formed in the cleaning rod whereupon a latch located in the recess engages a recess of the cleaning device to secure the cleaning device to barrel cleaning rod.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/224,126, filed Mar. 25, 2014, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/911,779, filed on Dec. 4, 2013. All ofthe above applications are incorporated by reference in their entiretyas if fully recited herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally to adevice for cleaning debris from a gun barrel and a method of use forsuch a device.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Firearms generally comprise a barrel structure, a chamber for housing apropellant, and a method of causing the propellant to propel aprojectile down the barrel structure. The barrel structure is intendedto guide the projectile toward its intended target. Frequently the innersurface of the barrel structure may be caused to have spiralindentations intended to cause the projectile to spin as it travels downthe barrel. Such spin imparts stability and may result in a projectilethat more consistently travels the path imparted by the barrel assembly.Other embodiments of firearms may have smooth inner barrel structuresurfaces. Such other embodiments may rely on other methods of guiding aprojectile towards its intended target. In order to guide a projectiletowards its intended target, the inner surface of the barrel structuremay have an inner diameter that is very close to the outer diameter ofthe projectile. This closeness in diameter is particularly critical whenthe barrel is designed to impart a spinning motion on the projectile.

Projectiles are frequently comprised of lead or other malleablematerial. In addition, some projectiles may have a coating or jacketmaterial such as copper. As these projectiles travel down the barrel,the closeness in diameter causes the projectile to rub against thebarrel assembly inner surface. The result may be traces of lead, copper,or other materials deposited from the projectile onto the barrelassembly.

Many embodiments of firearms rely on a propellant such as gunpowder or asimilar chemical composition to propel a projectile down the barrelassembly. These designs may use a pressure sensitive substance to ignitethe gunpowder in response to a user action such as pulling a triggerdevice. When the gunpowder ignites, it causes an explosion within aportion of the barrel assembly resulting in a rapidly expanding gas.This gas causes the projectile to travel rapidly down the barrelassembly and then continue on to the intended target. As the result ofthe exploding gunpowder, chemical particles may be deposited onto theinner surface of the barrel assembly.

As described above, traces of lead, copper, and other materials as wellas chemical particles that result from the explosion of propellant maybe deposited on the barrel assembly inner surface. Over time, suchdeposits may damage the surface of the gun barrel assembly and caninterfere with the interface between the projectile and the gun barrel.Such interference may result in a reduction of the accuracy andperformance of the firearm. As a result, the inner surface of the barrelassembly should be regularly cleaned to remove deposits.

Cleaning devices such as rods or cable devices are known in the art.Such devices commonly have removable cleaning devices. During anexemplary process for cleaning a barrel assembly these devices may beremoved and replaced with devices for performing the various steps inthe cleaning process. For example, a device for holding a clothsaturated with a cleaning solution may be caused to be attached to acleaning rod. This cloth may then be pushed or pulled through the barrelassembly to cause cleaning solution to be deposited therein. The devicefor holding a cloth may be removed from the cleaning rod and replacedwith a brush or scraper device to remove deposits from the barrelassembly. In this exemplary cleaning process the brush or scraper may beremoved and replaced with another device for holding a cloth thatcontains a corrosion inhibitor or lubricant material. As with thecleaning solution saturated cloth, this cloth containing a corrosioninhibitor or lubricant material may be pushed or pulled through thebarrel assembly to deposit the corrosion inhibitor or lubricant onto thebarrel assembly inner surface.

As described above, it is common for a cleaning process to be performedusing multiple steps where each step may require a different device. Afrequent problem during the performance of such steps is the recurringneed to remove and replace the various devices used during the cleaningprocess. Known designs of cleaning devices, cleaning rods, and cleaningcables use a threaded interface between the rod or cable and thecleaning devices. Such a threaded interface requires that the user twistthe cleaning device to engage the threaded interface and continue totwist until the threaded cleaning device is fully secured to the rod orcable. In order to accommodate longer gun barrel assemblies, sections ofrod or cable are frequently required to be threaded together in a mannersimilar to what was described for attaching the cleaning device. Inaddition to being time consuming and tedious to assemble, threadedassemblies may be susceptible to cross-threading which may damage ordestroy the threaded connection. Such a damaged connection may separateduring use, resulting in a cleaning device becoming lodged in the barrelassembly or barrel damage from the unsecured cleaning rod or cable. Aknown improvement to such a threaded connection is a connection thatuses an enlarged end located on the cleaning device which is insertedinto a keyhole shaped receiver located on a cleaning rod or cable. Whilesuch a connection eliminates the need to thread a cleaning device onto abarrel cleaning rod or cable, it only serves to secure the connectionduring a pulling motion. A pushing motion may cause this connection torelease or become misaligned. The ability to push and pull a cleaningdevice through a gun barrel assembly allows for a more effectivecleaning operation and eliminates the need to pull a cleaning devicethrough the gun barrel assembly, disconnect the device from the cleaningrod or cable, reinsert the cleaning rod or cable, and reattach thecleaning device in order to perform the cleaning step a second time.With an attachment method that allows a user to apply a pushing andpulling motion to a cleaning device, that user may “scrub” the cleaningdevice back and forth in areas of the gun barrel assembly that requireadditional cleaning.

What is needed is a device to allow a user to quickly and easily changefrom one device to another during the cleaning process where such adevice allows the user to both push and pull a cleaning device through agun barrel assembly without unintended disconnection of the cleaningdevice from the cleaning rod or cable.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a hinged latch typeinterface between a cleaning rod or cable and cleaning device oradditional segments of cleaning rod or cable may be formed using atleast one engagement recess or groove which on a first section of theinterface, partially or fully encircles a first shaft portion of thecleaning device or non-receiving portion of a cleaning rod and is insetradially from the first shaft portion of the cleaning device ornon-receiving portion of the cleaning rod. A second section of theinterface comprises a section of channel formed axially into an endportion of a cleaning rod or cable to receive the first shaft portion ofthe cleaning device or non-receiving portion of a cleaning rod. Thesecond section of the interface may also comprise at least one hingedlatch which may engage the engagement groove portion of the first shaftportion of the cleaning device or non-receiving portion of a cleaningrod as it is inserted into the first section of channel. In thedescribed exemplary embodiment, the first shaft portion of the interfaceis positioned such that the engagement groove of the first shaft portionof the cleaning device enters the channel section of the second sectionof the interface. The first and second sections may be positioned suchthat the first shaft portion of the cleaning device makes contact withthe end of the hinged latch. Once such contact is made, the firstsection may be inserted further into the second section so that thefirst shaft of the cleaning device is pressed further into the secondsection of the interface causing the hinged latch to move along theouter surface of the first shaft portion until it encounters theengagement recess or groove. When a trailing edge of the hinged latchreaches the beginning of the recess or groove of the first shaft portionof the cleaning device, the hinged latch may move downward such that thelatch captures the engagement recess or groove, latching the cleaningdevice in place. When a user wishes to remove the cleaning device, thatuser may press an end of the hinged latch opposite from that portion ofthe hinged latch that is capturing the engagement groove of the cleaningdevice, causing the end of the hinged latch to rise above the edge ofthe engagement groove, releasing the groove and hence the cleaningdevice from the cleaning rod. In such an embodiment, the interface maybe used to enable a user to connect a cleaning rod or cable to acleaning device or an additional cleaning rod or cable by pushing suchrod or cable and cleaning device together and partially twisting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, otherbenefits will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of thedrawings and exemplary embodiments:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustration of an embodiment of theinvention applied to a cleaning rod and cleaning device interface;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of an embodiment of the invention showing thecleaning rod and cleaning device interface partially engaged;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of an embodiment of the invention showing thecleaning rod and cleaning device interface fully engaged; and

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of an embodiment of the invention comprising anadapter for a threaded cleaning rod adapter illustrating a cleaningdevice fully engaged with an embodiment of the cleaning deviceinterface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S)

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, specific details such as detailed configuration andcomponents are merely provided to assist the overall understanding ofthese embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should beapparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications of the embodiments described herein can be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Inaddition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions areomitted for clarity and conciseness.

The present invention comprises an improved device for cleaning tubularbarrel assemblies, including gun barrels. One skilled in the art willrealize that such an invention may be used to clean other elongatedtubular structures such as, but not limited to, pipes, musicalinstruments, chimneys, and laboratory instruments. A preferredembodiment of the present invention may utilize a molded plasticmaterial as described herein but one ordinarily skilled in the art willunderstand that an equivalent device may be fabricated from othermaterials including, but not limited to, metals, wood, and glass withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates, in a perspective view, a barrel cleaning tool 100configured with an embodiment of the invention. As is illustrated at102, a barrel cleaning device 104 is secured to a cleaning rod portion106 of the cleaning tool 100. This cleaning rod portion 106 may befabricated from a rigid material but may also be fabricated from aflexible material. Examples of such a flexible material may be, but arenot limited to, flexible plastic or a cable material. FIG. 2 illustratesa cutaway view of a portion of the barrel cleaning device 104 showing anengagement groove 202, a first shaft portion 204, and a second shaftportion 206. As illustrated, the barrel cleaning device 104 is partiallyinserted into an axial recess 212 of the cleaning rod portion 106 of thebarrel cleaning tool 100. A hinged latch 208 located in a recess formedin the cleaning rod portion 106 of the cleaning tool 100 is illustratedin a partially raised position. The hinged latch 208 may be affixed tothe cleaning rod 106 using a pivot pin 210 or similar shape. As isillustrated in the figure, as the barrel cleaning device 104 is beinginserted into an axial recess portion 212 of the cleaning rod 106, theleading edge of the hinged latch 214 may rest against the first shaftportion 204 of the barrel cleaning device 104. As is shown, a spring 216may be used to cause the leading edge of the hinged latch 214 to bepressed against the first shaft portion 204 of the barrel cleaningdevice 104. Although the spring 216 is illustrated as a ribbon shape,such a spring may also be a coil shape or a flexible material anchoredsuch as to apply pressure against the hinged latch 208. In addition toor in place of the springs described, embodiments of the invention mayemploy material such as, but not limited to, rubber, latex, or othercompressible material to apply pressure to the hinged latch 208.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, as the first shaft portion 204 of the barrelcleaning device 104 is fully inserted into a hollow shaft portion 212 ofthe shaft 106 of the cleaning tool 100, the second shaft portion 206 ofthe barrel cleaning device 104 may come into contact with the end of thecleaning rod 106. At about the same time, the leading edge of the hingedlatch 214 may be pressed into the engagement groove 202 formed in thefirst shaft portion 204 of the cleaning device 104 by the spring 216. Asa result, the cleaning device 104 may become firmly affixed to the endof the shaft 106 of the barrel cleaning tool 100. To remove the cleaningdevice 104 from the end of the shaft 106, a user may apply pressure tothe trailing end 218 of the hinged latch 208. Such pressure may compressthe spring 216 and cause the hinged latch 208 to pivot about the pivotpin 210 which in turn, causes the leading edge 214 of the hinged latch208 to lift out of the engagement groove 202, releasing the cleaningdevice 104 from the barrel cleaning tool 100.

In order to keep the hinged latch 208 from protruding beyond the outerdiameter of the cleaning rod 106, a narrow ledge 220 may be formed inthe trailing edge of the pivot latch 208. This narrow latch may bepositioned such that it comes to rest against an inner surface of thehollow shaft portion 212 such that it prevents the trailing edge of thepivot latch 208 from being forced beyond the outer surface of thecleaning rod 106 by the spring 216. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 at302.

A plurality of different cleaning devices may be connected to a cleaningrod 106 or cable using the engagement ridge and engagement latcharrangement described above. The cleaning device 104 shown is exemplaryand it is not intended to represent the only such device that may beused in embodiments of the invention. Many other types of cleaningdevices may be used, examples of which may include, but are not limitedto, cleaning cloth loops, brushes, scrapers, and swabs. Additionalembodiments of the invention may comprise a cleaning device interfacethat includes a first shaft portion 204, a second shaft portion 206, andan engagement groove 202 and that also comprises a threaded opening toallow for the attachment of threaded cleaning devices such that theconvenience afforded to a user of the invention may be extended to othertypes of cleaning devices.

In addition to the embodiments described above and illustrated in FIGS.1, 2 and 3, an embodiment of the invention may also be comprised of anadapter design intended to be affixed to gun barrel cleaning tools whichare configured with less convenient cleaning device attachment methods,an example of which may be a threaded connection. Other attachmentmethods may include, but are not limited to, press-fit, crimping, andadhesive. Such an adapter may comprise a first end with an attachmentinterface portion and a second end with a recess and pivot latch asdescribed previously. An example of such an embodiment is illustrated inFIG. 4. As is shown, a threaded portion 402 may be provided to attachthe adapter to a threaded gun cleaning rod. Other embodiments mayreplace the threaded portion with an appropriate shape depending uponthe attachment method employed. Once attached, a user may changecleaning devices 104 by pressing the pivot latch 208 and removing orinstalling the cleaning device 104 as described earlier.

To conduct a gun barrel cleaning operation, a user may perform thedescribed twisting motion to attach and remove cleaning devices withouthaving to repeatedly twist to attach and detach cleaning devices as isthe case when using known threaded attachment methods. In addition toattachment of cleaning devices, the invention may be applied to connectadditional sections of barrel cleaning rods to accommodate longerbarrels.

Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optionalor preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention.The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to beexhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Theexemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the present invention so that others skilled in the artmay practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplaryembodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art willrealize that many variations and modifications may be made to thedescribed invention. Many of those variations and modifications willprovide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimedinvention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention onlyas indicated by the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for cleaning debris from a tubularbarrel assembly comprised of: a barrel cleaning tool comprising acleaning rod portion; a recess formed in one end of the cleaning rod; anopening formed in the outer surface of the cleaning rod portion wherethe opening is in communication with the recess; a latch device locatedwithin the opening where a leading end of the latch device has aprotrusion extending inwardly toward the recess; a barrel cleaningdevice with an elongated shaft where the shaft is sized such that it isinsertable into the recess; and a recess portion located on the shaftwhich engages the protrusion of the latch device when the shaft isinserted into the recess.
 2. The system of claim 1 where the cleaningrod portion of the barrel cleaning tool is flexible along its length. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein the latch device is a hinged latch devicewhich pivots about a pivot pin.
 4. The system of claim 2, additionallycomprising a spring which acts upon the hinged latch device.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft of the barrel cleaningdevice is substantially cylindrical in shape.
 6. The system of claim 5,wherein the recess portion on the shaft is formed on a portion of theshaft and extends around the complete circumference of the shaft.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft of the barrel cleaningdevices comprises at least two diameters, a first diameter sized to beinsertable into the cleaning rod recess and a second diameter that islarger than the cleaning rod recess.
 8. An adapter for use with a barrelcleaning tool comprising: a cylindrical rod portion wherein the rodportion comprises an attachment interface to a cleaning tool at a firstend of the rod and a recess at a second end; an opening formed in theouter surface of the rod portion where the opening is in communicationwith the recess; a latch device located within the opening where aleading end of the latch device has a protrusion extending inwardlytoward the recess; a barrel cleaning device with an elongated shaftwhere the shaft is sized such that it is insertable into the recess; anda recess portion located on the shaft which engages the protrusion ofthe latch device when the shaft is inserted into the recess.
 9. Theadapter of claim 8, wherein the latch device is a hinged latch devicewhich pivots about a pivot pin.
 10. The adapter of claim 9, additionallycomprising a spring which acts upon the hinged latch device.
 11. Theadapter of claim 8, wherein the elongated shaft of the barrel cleaningdevice is substantially cylindrical in shape.
 12. The adapter of claim11, wherein the recess portion on the shaft is formed on a portion ofthe shaft and extends around the complete circumference of the shaft.13. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the elongated shaft of the barrelcleaning devices comprises at least two diameters, a first diametersized to be insertable into the cleaning rod recess and a seconddiameter that is larger than the cleaning rod recess.
 14. A system forcleaning debris from a tubular barrel assembly comprised of: a barrelcleaning tool comprising a cleaning rod portion; a recess formed in oneend of the cleaning rod; an opening formed in the outer surface of thecleaning rod portion where the opening is in communication with therecess; a hinged latch device which pivots about a pivot pin locatedwithin the opening where a leading end of the latch device has aprotrusion extending inwardly toward the recess; a spring which actsupon the hinged latch device; a barrel cleaning device with an elongatedcylindrical shaft comprising at least a first and a second diameter,where the first diameter of the shaft is sized such that it isinsertable into the recess and the second diameter sized such that is itlarger than the cleaning rod recess; and a recess portion located on theshaft formed on a portion of the shaft and extending around the completecircumference of the shaft which engages the protrusion of the hingedlatch device when the shaft is inserted into the recess.